Oct 5, 2009

"Last Cake, Next Cake" is where we can all talk about any problems or questions we had about the cake we just baked, and answer each other's questions about the next project.Starting next week, I'd like to feature a blogger every week. If there's a particular cake you want to make, give me a Monday date that works for you, and you'll be featured on that date. Otherwise, I'll just go through the list (featuring someone who baked the cake that week, naturally).

Finally, welcome to Rachelino, a/k/a/ Rachel. She'll be joining us, and baking her first cake in a few weeks.

The Heavenly Cake Bakers came up with some terrific versions of the Hungarian Jancsi Torta. Jenn wanted a smaller version so she divided the recipe in half, using a 6-inch pan, and adding a strip of parchment paper in case it got too tall. (It did).Nancy B. should get some kind of prize for her determination--she doesn't have her copy of the book yet, so she went to a bookstore and copied the recipe by hand! She served hers with raspberry preserves for the kids and apricot preserves for the adults.Butter Yum opted for black walnuts because she loves the taste of them--that would never have occurred to me, but she said they were great in the recipe. She has some great photos, too.Rozanne has a lovely presentation, with artful dollops of raspberry puree. She confessed that she couldn't stop eating it!Nicola's copy of the book arrived on Saturday--just in time for her to bake the cake! She was also relieved that Rose's version didn't have twelve layers, four fillings, and spun sugar, as apparently some versions do. I'm relieved too.Faithy made a dynamite-looking chocolate ganache topping. She said she liked its texture better right from the refrigerator.

Next up: Barcelona Brownie Bars. This recipe calls for financier molds, preferably silicone. The silicone molds that are described as "financier molds" (available on amazon.com), are too small.

What you want are the ones that are called "mini cake pans." I can't wait to try these--they're made with pecans, dark chocolate, cocoa, and cream cheese--and filled (optionally) with ganache "plugs." If you don't like nuts, there's also a cherry version. If you don't have the silicone molds and don't want to get them, I would think you could use mini muffin pans, or madeline pans.Or maybe you have other ideas.

Kristina,I had completely forgotten about the recipe already being on Rose's web site--that's good news for people who don't have the books yet. I noticed that Rose suggested madeline pans as an alternative, and also told readers that they could bake these brownies in an 8" or 9" square pan for more traditional brownies.Happy Thanksgiving!

marie, you will love these lekue mini cake silicone pans, 9 cavities. they work for EVERYTHING! the size and support is great that even something with the wrong amount of aeration or leavening will come out great!

I already ordered the teeny tiny ones - I didn't realize they were tiny because there were no dimensions on the site! I have now ordered the right ones (from Italy!), just hoping that they arrive in time, otherwise it will be a bit of improvisation.

The BBB recipe on Rose's site is identical, except for a few of the metric measurements differ by a couple of grams. Imperial seems fine.

Nicola,I used the teeny tiny ones on the chocolate ingots and they worked fine--there was just a lot of batter left over, and you have to watch carefully for doneness. They are very cute, but are literally just one or two bites.

I don't have the lekue pan and it will never arrive in time if I order it, so I'll have to come up with plan B.

As for the Hungarian Jancsi Torta - I ate the last piece today, 48 hours after it was baked. It started to get a little soggy/sticky on the bottom. I'm sure that's due to the sugar/meringue content of the cake - sugar is hygroscopic.

A co-worker who got a piece of the torte yesterday (and praised it highly then) passed me in the hall today, then stopped and called me back to say "that was possibly one of the best things I've eaten this year."

Thank for the welcome everyone!!! My online nickname "Rachelino" is my Dad's nickname for me and is pronounced "Rachel-EEno" like a silly Italian version of my name. Like Rachel Vino without the v. I am not trying to be mysterious...and you all can call me whatever you like! :-)I am so impressed with everyone's work (and NANCY B! You hereby are awarded a prize for copying that recipe!!) and I look forward to joining you for Apple Upside Down Cake. xoRachel

We have another new blogger--Cindy Kitchel, from Indianapolis. I waS born and grew up in northern Indiana, so Indianapolis used to be my State Capitol--at one time I knew all 50 of them, but no more.Cindy's blog is www.slowishfood.blogspot.com. Welcome, Cindy!

These all sound so great. I actually have this recipe from several years ago by the Two Fat Ladies. They called it Rigo Jancsi's Chocolate Slices. They made the cake in a sheet pan, sliced it in two. Then they spread one layer with Apricot Jam and chocolate glaze. Put on the second layer, more chocolate glaze and then sliced it into finger length servings. Was delicious.

It's here! Propped against the garage door when I got home this evening was a package from John Wiley & Sons, and inside was _Heavenly Cakes_! It's absolutely beautiful, and the recipes sound just wonderful. The bake-along is going to be so much fun!

Nancy B - lucky you! I can't wait for my copy. In the meantime, I picked up a copy at the library. Unfortunately I can only drool over the beautiful pictures because I'm smack in the middle of a kitchen remodeling project... Let me take that back. It's a complete kitchen overhaul project. I'm getting a brand new kitchen. It's really exciting but I miss baking already (and it's only been a week).

So if anyone, who's a member of our Heavenly Baker club, is waiting for their book to arrive, and wants to bake along, I can send you a copy of that week's recipe (after next week since this week's recipe is available on Rose's blog). Please email me at HanaasKitchen [at] live [dot] com.

My friend offered me the use of her kitchen. If I have time this weekend, I might take her up on it and bake these delicious brownies. I think I'd use my mini/tiny-brioche pans. I think they'll look nice with the flared/decorative edges.

So glad that everyone is getting their beautiful autobraphed books and we can all start baking in earnest. I love the idea of using mini-brioche pans--looking forward to seeing what alternative pans people come up with because I'm pretty sure that not everyone has silicone financier pans lying around the house.

Yay! I received my signed copy of RHC yesterday. As I left work, I called my husband and asked him if there was any mail for me, and he said Yes. Boy, that felt like the longest drive home!! :o) Thank you Rose for writing another winner, thank you Wiley, and of course a big thanks to Marie for setting up this bake along, and doing such a fabulous job spreading the word and getting everybody excited about the book and the bake along.